


Nine Lives Aren't Enough For You And Me

by tipsy_teletubbies



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Read at your own discretion, Sad boi hours, china line deserves better, i wrote this at 5am pls don't judge me, inspired by a prompt on instagram, junnie is a cat, minghao cares more than he'd like to admit, no beta we die like men, seriously this is kind of bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25432855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tipsy_teletubbies/pseuds/tipsy_teletubbies
Summary: Junhui has nine lives. That's more than enough for him to live happily ever after...right?Minghao has only one life. He's determined to protect it to the best of his abilities. After all, no one else will...right?ORHow far is Jun willing to go to protect Minghao's singular life?
Relationships: Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46





	Nine Lives Aren't Enough For You And Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by a prompt by @ _writing_ideas_ on Instagram where Person A goes like, "Save me!" and Person B says "No way. You have nine lives, I don't."
> 
> Enjoy reading, y'all! <3

The mission was dangerous. As Seungcheol briefed the other boys, a heavy tension filled the air; a promise of death lingered in the stuffy room. 

"Jun, I'm giving this one to you."

Twelve pairs of eyes honed in on him, looks of concern and fear for his safety burning holes into his body. Despite the nervous atmosphere clouding the air, Jun tried his best to make light of the situation by doing what he did best: whine.

"Yah, me again? Why am I always getting the dangerous ones?" He turned to cling onto the person nearest to him, who coincidentally was the very person he enjoyed annoying the most. "Minghao-ya, surely you won't stand for this unfairness. After all, I am your favourite hyung!"

"You're not my favourite hyung," Minghao deadpanned. "In fact, you aren't even close to being my favourite hyung."

Jun pouted and clutched at his chest dramatically, gasping for extra theatrics. "Yah, so mean!" He began shaking the younger boy. "You have to save me, please!"

"No way, you have nine lives; I only have one. No way in hell I'm risking it."

"But Hao, it's my last life!"

"You said that the last time too."

"That's enough," Seungcheol interrupted. An amused smile teased his lips, but his tone was serious when he addressed Minghao. "Junnie is right, he's been taking on some difficult ones and he deserves a break. Can you take this one instead?"

Minghao shrugged. "Sure, whatever." He purposely ignored the smug grin a certain _cat_ was sending his way. If Minghao was secretly relieved that Jun was finally taking a break after tackling missions after missions, well, no one has to know. If Minghao was getting increasingly worried about the dark bags that seemed to be ever present under the older's eyes, then that was for Minghao and Minghao only. 

The mission has gone horribly wrong within the first ten minutes. Minghao's tracker and comm had been jammed, leaving him to blindly stumble into what could only be a trap. Even if backup managed to arrive, he would be long dead with the flurry of bullets raining down on him. His enhanced senses allowed him to dodge most of the bullets, though a few stray ones managed to nick him. He was quickly running out of ammo and choices, and he was never the best at close combat, despite Jun's constant coaching. If the sudden thump behind him was any indication, he was about to be thrust into a definite one sided hand in hand fight. 

Block, thrust, dodge. Metal screeched against metal as Minghao tried his best not to get impaled. However, this was proving to be increasingly difficult as he was quickly tiring, movements becoming sloppy. His opponent knew this as well, judging by the wicked sneer on his face. 

A well placed kick sent Minghao flying into the wall, a choked grunt forced out of him. His opponent was on him in an instant, the dim light glinting off the blade as it was poised above his heart. Minghao had escaped the beckoning of death many times before, by just the slightest; it seemed his luck had finally run out. 

The blade never came down. Minghao heard only the whisper of air as the knife sliced downward, but the pain ever hit. A breeze caressed his face gently before his opponent was knocked to the ground in a blink of the eye. The knife clanged onto the ground, discarded. 

Minghao's eyes drifted to the side, before they landed on a familiar hissing male, nails elongated into deadly claws. 

"Jun?"

Jun spared him a brief grin just as sharp as his claws. "Can't have you dying on me, can I? You and your measly _one_ life." He pounced on his opponent, claws slicing through skin easily as he flipped out of harm's way.

Mesmerized by the beautiful way Jun fought, Minghao was completely unaware of the sniper positioned above him, a clear shot ready to blow a hole clean through his head. Just before the trigger was pulled, Jun spun to face the sniper, dashing forward as he realized who the target was. 

"MINGHAO!"

The trigger was pulled.

The sniper fell dead, the previously discarded blade now lodged into his skull. However, his shot had not been in vain, as Jun collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from the gaping wound in his abdomen. 

"Jun, oh my god, Junhui!" Minghao gathered the paling Jun into his arms, ripping his shirt to cover the wound and pressing hard, trying to staunch the blood flow. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention. It's going to be okay, Junnie." His hands pressed harder, applying steady pressure, but the blood kept pouring over his hands, spilling onto the hard ground. "You're going to be okay. After all, you _do_ have nine lives."

"Minghao..."

"Shh, don't speak. Save your energy." The red was a stark contrast against Jun's pale, pale skin. "Damn it, why isn't it stopping?"

"Hao-"

"Why aren't you healing yet?!" Minghao's voice was edging on hysteria now. The wound should've started stitching itself back together by now. The bleeding should've stopped by now. The colour should've made its way back onto Jun's face by now. But the flow of blood never stopped; instead, abandoning Jun's body in favour of pooling around the couple, drenching them.

Jun coughed wetly, crimson trickling from the corner of his lips. "Minghao, I thought I told you."

 _No, no, no,_ no. Minghao shook his head, denying what he already knew. _It can't be_. 

"This is my last life."

"Junhui, no, you're lying." Tears were dripping from his eyes. "You said that last time, remember? You can't die that easily."

Jun tried for a smile. "You saved me last time, remember? Now we're even." Another cough, and the sound of it tore through Minghao's body like a burning knife. The pain from listening to Jun's shallow pants was worse than anything else he had endured. "I'm afraid I'm out of redos." Jun didn't sound sad; only resigned, as if he had known his fate all along. 

"Junnie, please no." Minghao was sobbing now, clutching onto Jun's body, trying to chain him down to the world of living with his arms alone. "You can't die! You can't just leave me here. Jun..." 

A hand gripped Minghao's weakly. Jun's eyes, usually so bright with mischief and laughter, were now dull with remorse and sorrow. "I'm sorry, Hao." His voice, normally so warm with joy and love, was barely above a whisper now. "I'm sorry. I love y-"

The words never got to leave his lips. With another choked cough and the seizing of his body, Wen Junhui, a boy who burned with life and love, a boy who brimmed with laughter, left the world. 

A broken scream tore from Minghao's body, anguish and heartbreak clawing at his chest, trying to rip his heart out. He sobbed into Jun's hair, desperately trying to bring him back with defeated whispers and empty promises. He linked his hand with Jun's limp one, squeezing hopelessly as he cried, wishing for the reassuring warmth of his hyung, wishing for the soft words of comfort reserved only for Minghao. What he was left with instead was endless silence.

The rest of the group found them like that twenty minutes later: Jun's lifeless body entrapped in Minghao's vice grip; a broken mantra of "I love you" filling the silence; Minghao's eyes just as empty and void of emotions as Jun's unseeing ones. 

Junhui had nine lives, and he dedicated all nine of them to protecting the only person he had loved with all his heart. 

Minghao has only one life, but without a certain someone with nine lives protecting him and loving him, was it even worth living? 

**Author's Note:**

> When I tell you I cried writing this-
> 
> I CRIED ㅠㅠ
> 
> I love my boys, I don't know why I put them through this :(
> 
> Anyway, feedback would be appreciated as I'm a rookie writer XD. Thanks for reading!


End file.
